VP of EngineeringValue Driven Solutions (VDS) is looking for a VP of Engineering to join our interim executive bench, with this engagement deploying on-site at our PE-backed manufacturing client in the [Location] region. The VP of Engineering will own product, process, and manufacturing engineering and partner with Operations, Supply Chain, and Commercial leadership to translate the value-creation roadmap into engineered, manufacturable, and profitable products.
The ideal candidate will enjoy taking complex products from concept to volume manufacturing and have the ability to dig into a technical situation, weigh trade-offs across cost, quality, and time, and deliver the best possible engineered outcome. The ideal candidate will apply their command of stage-gate NPI, FMEA, and APQP discipline and communicate effectively with engineers, operators, customers, and the board.
Responsibilities:
- Engineering leadership - Own the engineering organization across product, process, design, R&D, and sustaining engineering across multiple sites or business units. Build and develop engineering leadership talent; create a pipeline of Principal Engineers and Engineering Managers.
- NPI and product development - Drive design-for-manufacturing, design-for-cost, and design-for-quality discipline into every new product introduction. Partner with Operations on yield, scrap, throughput, and OEE improvement programs grounded in root cause analysis.
- Strategic alignment - Set the technology roadmap and align engineering investment with the client's strategic plan and PE thesis. Lead capital project pipeline including automation, equipment qualification, validation, and ROI tracking. Represent engineering in board, investor, and customer reviews.
Requirements:
- 20+ years of engineering leadership with 5+ years in a VP-level role over multi-disciplinary teams
- Track record bringing complex products from concept through volume manufacturing
- Strong command of stage-gate NPI processes, FMEA, DFMEA, PFMEA, and APQP
- Demonstrated ability to manage capital portfolios of $10M+
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering required; MS or PhD strongly preferred
- Experience in regulated environments (FDA, FAA, ITAR, automotive IATF, or equivalent) preferred
- Familiarity with Industry 4.0, robotics, AI/ML in manufacturing, and digital twin deployment a plus
